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Subject:Re: Use of A and An From:MaggiRos <maggiros -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 23 Nov 2003 10:42:47 -0800 (PST)
The rule doesn't apply? Are you saying "an one-sided
contest" would be the correct formation? The rule is about
sound, not about parts of speech. Use "a" before a
consonant *sound*, "an" before a vowel sound.
But ok, here are two examples where the following words are
all nouns:
An understanding
A user
A Masters degree
an M.A.
(because you say: em ay)
Check the archives for an exaustive discussion of this
issue (which should never be an issue, as far as I'm
concerned) a couple of years back.
Maggie
--- Anthony Davey <ant -at- ant-davey -dot- com> wrote:
> The example you have given uses an adjective (albeit
> hyphenated, not a
> noun), so the rule doesn't apply.
>
> Ant
>
> John Fleming wrote:
> >Use 'an' with 'u' and 'o' when the following word is
> pronounced
> >as if it started with a 'y' or a 'w' (a one-sided
> contest).
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